'Vintage Christie' is liar, thief and N.J.'s worst nightmare

The Bergen County Courthouse complex in Hackensack is a huge construction zone as work continues on a new Justice Center, above. Meanwhile, garage parking is free for attorneys, jurors and visitors until ticket machines become operational, below.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Record is describing Governor Christie's string of insults and verbal attacks on Tuesday as "a vintage version" of the politician.

A Page 1 story today claimed his speech to business leaders and other appearances recalled the Christie "who rose to national fame hurling invective at his adversaries and dressing down supporters, if they strayed from the path."

A pubic relations firm couldn't have said it better.

But Editor Martin Gottlieb and Staff Writer Dustin Racioppi are supposed to be journalists who level with readers on the front page.

If they did that, they would remind us "vintage" Christie is the candidate who told a big lie to get elected -- that he would lower local property taxes and force towns to regionalize to save public funds.

"Vintage" Christie is the mean-spirited governor who killed the Hudson River rail tunnels -- the biggest expansion of mass transit in decades -- then stole leftover funds to fix roads and bridges.

"Vintage" Christie is the GOP bully who cut funding for state worker benefits, vetoed a tax surcharge on millionaires and used money earmarked for environmental cleanup to balance the state budget.

In short, "vintage" Christie is the worst governor in state history.

2016 election

So-called Washington Correspondent Herb Jackson already has started to cover the 2016 contest between Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, and Democrat Josh Gottheimer, a Microsoft executive from Wyckoff (A-3).

As he has done in the past, Jackson is expected to call the election on the basis of who has raised the most money.

Litigious lawyers

For a rare story on lawyers screwing lawyers, as opposed to clients, see the first Business page (L-9).

Roper & Twardosky LLC of Totowa filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors, including lawyers who assisted the firm and say they are owed from $497,000 to $2.8 million each.